Transcript Highlights:

• This slide provides a snapshot of the amount allocated versus the amount requested by applicants per
• For cultural heritage grants, you can see the total requested far exceeds the amount allocated.
• For capacity building grants, the request was 10 times more than what was allocated.
• For civics grants, the request was nearly 6 times more than what was allocated, and for our emergency
• You can see the total requested out far exceeds the amount allocated for capacity building grants.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Containment needs to end efforts to Cost Containment needs to end efforts to recoup<00:48:55.240>
• of money that the office of Cost of money that the office of Cost Containment<00:50:42.880> collected
• It cost me $10,000, $20,000, whatever. I want my money back. Who do I go to for that?
• It's capped by what the cost of a contract attorney would be, which is a relatively small amount.
• money is allocated and spent and I think money is allocated and spent and I think that<03:11:57.319><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee met in executive session and first took up HB 148, a bill allowing classification by biological sex in limited settings such as multiple-use bathrooms, certain sports, and involuntary commitment facilities. Supporters said it was needed to protect privacy and safety, especially for minors, and argued it was consistent with recent federal and state developments. Opponents said the bill was poorly defined, unnecessary, and could create discrimination or confusion, especially because it did not define “biological sex” in the text. The committee voted 10-8 ought to pass, and the chair said a minority report would be written. The committee then considered HB 254, a bill concerning medical aid in dying. The chair moved ought to pass and described the bill as a matter of liberty for terminally ill patients within six months of death, arguing it should not be treated as suicide. Opponents raised religious, ethical, and policy concerns, including worries about a slippery slope, misuse by vulnerable people, and the effect on death records and public health data. The committee voted 11-7 ought to pass, and the chair said a majority report would be written with a minority report by Representative Perez. Finally, the committee turned to HB 611 with Amendment 2025-0638, a replace-all amendment dealing with recoupment of costs for appointed counsel. The chair explained the amendment would restore the law to its pre-2020 form, allowing the Office of Cost Containment to seek repayment from some recipients of appointed counsel services, including those found not guilty, if they had the ability to pay. Supporters said the prior change had sharply reduced collections and that the state should not treat indigent defendants differently from people who hire private counsel. Opponents argued the policy unfairly bills innocent people and children who were entitled to counsel. The transcript cuts off during debate on the amendment, before a vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• in direct uh Medicaid costs. in direct uh Medicaid costs.
• of that is just in Medicaid costs. of that is just in Medicaid costs.
• uh reduction in health costs. uh reduction in health costs.
• offset the costs of uh the startup costs offset the costs of uh the startup costs for<02:46:51.200
• , any costs, any costs, any<04:30:23.600> uh<04:30:23.840> cost<04:30:24.239> benefit

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• no-cost proposal. no-cost proposal.
• cost proposal as well. cost proposal as well.
• This would have a cost of $112,000 in the 26-27 biennium and would have a tails cost of $224,000.
• your cost because you create shortages. your cost because you create shortages.
• competition always creates lower cost. competition always creates lower cost.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we determine what the operational cost and the maintenance cost are of these new projects?
• and the maintenance operational cost and the maintenance cost<00:45:54.880> are<00:45:55.079>
• ...times the allocable taxable rate.
• There may be additional costs, or lower costs, depending upon the interest rate environment itself.
• finance projects at low borrowing costs finance projects at low borrowing costs for<01:10:41.960

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It says that you're about to give a blank check because there's no cost savings put in.
• We will be asking tough questions on that, including how much is that project expected to cost?
• It's estimated to cost $15 million to $20 million. Thank you very much. Good afternoon.
• We think you should be prioritizing these cost-effective programs like the farmer program.
• capital costs and request clarification about the proposed eight-year implementation.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the costs just keep going up.
• It's the most cost-effective.
• It's the most cost-effective.
• It's the most cost-effective.
• delayed and the the costs are going up. delayed and the the costs are going up.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• dollars in additional unforeseen costs. dollars in additional unforeseen costs. uh<00:20:35.039>
• Um, I'm I'm aware with the costs.
• ,<00:51:33.200> if point that may incur a new cost, if point that may incur a new cost, if
• set goals, and keep plans for coste set goals, and keep plans for coste effective<01:20:10.880><
• <01:20:18.640> Agencies reducing operating costs. Agencies reducing operating costs.

Bills: HF3477, HF3480, HF3781, HF3357, HF3737, HF3664, HF3621

Keywords: civil rights, law enforcement, federal collaboration, accountability, state law, immigration enforcement, economic impact, Operation Metro Surge, study, appropriation, local government, Legislative Commission on Legislative Security, legislator security, elected official security, staff security, statehouse security, capitol security, legislative district safety, political violence prevention, threat assessment

Summary: The committee first attempted to approve minutes from February 24 and March 3, but members identified multiple spelling errors in names, so approval was held and the motion withdrawn. The committee then took up House File 3477, a bill by Representative Long proposing a civil remedy for constitutional violations by government actors, including federal actors. An author’s amendment (A4) was adopted to remove a subdivision and clarify retroactivity. In discussion, members raised concerns about Supremacy Clause and immigration-related issues; the author responded that the bill applies evenly to state and federal actors and is meant to enforce constitutional rights, not immigration law. After debate, the motion to re-refer the bill to the general register failed on a 6-7 vote, with one member excused. The committee next heard House File 3480, authored by Representative Howard, which would commission an independent economic impact study of Operation Metro Surge. An A2 amendment was adopted to add a dollar amount for the study and clarify timing. Representative Howard said the study would help the legislature understand statewide impacts and noted reported harm to businesses, child care, schools, and local governments. Testimony in support came from Laura Santiago, reading a statement from Christopher Gomez of Willmar, who described ICE agents entering his family’s restaurant, the detention and deportation of family members, and resulting business losses. Rachel Ser, Minneapolis emergency management director, cited a preliminary city assessment estimating major impacts including food insecurity, lost wages, business revenue losses, hotel cancellations, and rental assistance needs. Some members questioned the cost and usefulness of the study, while others said suburban and greater Minnesota communities also wanted the data. The transcript ends during continued discussion of the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• health care costs for our educators.
• costs for our educators. costs for our educators.
• hospitals Medicare outpatient cost hospitals Medicare outpatient cost sharing.<00:19:31.120>
• c> but<00:25:51.679> specifically cost containment work, but specifically cost containment
• costs for Vermoners. costs for Vermoners.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House took up S. 190, a health care cost-containment bill relating to the Green Mountain Care Board, reference-based pricing, and a study of a public employee health benefit authority. The House first suspended rules to take the bill from the notice calendar, then heard committee reports from Health Care, Ways and Means, and Appropriations. The Health Care committee chair described the bill as a strike-all amendment intended to carry out Act 68’s hospital reference-based pricing timeline, saying it would let the Green Mountain Care Board begin implementation for fiscal year 2027, expand reference-based pricing to qualified health plans and the Vermont Education Health Insurance program, and address hospital pricing transparency, outsourcing, and critical access hospital Medicare outpatient cost-sharing issues. Supporters argued the bill would lower insurance costs, help reduce property taxes, and improve hospital sustainability by reducing the need for hospitals to limit access as they approach revenue caps. The Ways and Means committee said the bill could reduce education spending by lowering health care costs for school employees and reported the bill favorably on a 7-4 vote. The Appropriations committee said it reviewed the bill and an amendment, and noted that much of the detailed language would be changed by the appropriations amendment; it also discussed a possible state innovation waiver under the Affordable Care Act. The Health Care committee reported its strike-all amendment favorably on a 10-0 vote. The bill’s provisions were described in detail, including requiring hospitals and insurers to express rates as a percentage of Medicare, setting a path toward national median hospital prices by 2030, limiting certain reimbursements for QHP and VHI plans, requiring a report on hospital outsourcing and provider tax impacts, and creating a public health system performance tool if funding is available. The speaker also noted that the bill would not affect critical access hospitals or Vermont’s Medicare-dependent hospital in the reimbursement cap provisions, and that critical access hospitals were already working with the Green Mountain Care Board on solutions to Medicare outpatient cost-sharing concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:46:52.800> of athletes that cover the full cost of athletes that cover the full cost of
• <00:47:51.040> So provide the full cost of attendance.
• So provide the full cost of attendance.
• ><00:48:07.359> for dollars, the uh dollars allocated um for dollars, the uh dollars allocated
• because it was such a great deal of cost because it was such a great deal of cost um<01:31:44.320

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 Approve Minutes from June 11, 2026- 00:00:40 Staff Report on 2026 Child Fatality Panel Update- 00:01:17 Panel Staff Response to Report-00:21:12 University of Kentucky Name, Image, and Likeness-00:44:34 Kentucky State Police Update on SERVS-01:17:55 Adjornment-01:33:05, 958, all

Summary: The committee first established a quorum and approved the minutes from the previous meeting. Members then received a staff report on the Kentucky Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, including an annual LOIC evaluation of the panel’s operations, statutory compliance, case management system development, member experience, and written procedures. The report noted recent House Bill 778 expanded the panel’s access to records and to TWIST/I-TWIST, and recommended that staff request access and training promptly to avoid implementation problems. Analysts reported the panel has met statutory membership and meeting requirements, and that agency responses to the panel’s 2025 recommendations improved, with all responses meeting statutory content requirements though some were late. They also said the panel still lacks formal written procedures, so a prior recommendation was reissued. The report discussed the panel’s new case management system, now in testing with the Commonwealth Office of Technology, and a survey of panel members showing generally positive views of meetings and case discussions but recurring concerns about SharePoint access, time demands, virtual meetings, and the panel’s lack of enforcement authority. The report included a matter for legislative consideration suggesting the General Assembly may wish to seek additional testimony from agencies when responses are unclear or more information is needed. Panel staff responded that the work is difficult but important, said they are optimistic about gaining TWIST access, and acknowledged that written procedures have not yet been completed because they wanted to align them with the new system. They said both the system and procedures are hoped to be finished by the end of the year, with the new case management system expected to be implemented by September 1 after further testing and migration. Members also discussed trends in child fatality and near-fatality cases, including increases in reported cases since 2013, substance abuse, safe storage of firearms, and concerns about THC/CBD gummies reaching children. No formal votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• shifts at the State Fair, the number one questions that we tend to get asked there are about college costs
• <00:04:55.280> and asked there are about college costs and asked there are about college costs
• But what really matters, though, is how that money is allocated and doled out.
• It would also be helpful to know, obviously, things cost money.
• <01:39:43.599> money know um obviously uh things cost money know um obviously uh things cost

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee received an informational presentation from the Office of Higher Education on college access efforts, with a focus on FAFSA outreach, the Get Ready program, and Direct Admissions Minnesota. Wendy Robinson said OHE’s role is to provide nonpartisan information, partner with K-12, colleges, and community groups, and use statewide programs to expand awareness of higher education options and financial aid. She highlighted outreach through brochures, virtual sessions, conferences, the State Fair, and events serving specific populations, as well as the Lumina-funded Connect College grant and the federally funded Get Ready program, which serves about 7,500 low-income students across 14 capacity-building schools and 28 additional schools with tutoring, college visits, application help, and financial aid support. A member asked for demographic data on Get Ready students, and staff said they would provide it later. Robinson also reviewed FAFSA outreach, noting that last year was especially difficult for students because of federal FAFSA problems. OHE’s Ready Set FAFSA sessions drew 1,300 unique registrations in October and 939 in January, and the agency continued training K-12 and college staff on state aid programs, FAFSA simplification, and implementation of North Star Promise. OHE said it also held FAFSA completion events with partners, including at the State Fair, and planned another financial aid event in Duluth. The bulk of the presentation covered Direct Admissions Minnesota. Robinson said the program is now in its fourth year, with 55 participating colleges and universities and 182 participating high schools in the third cohort, serving just over 32,000 students. She described the program as a broad, collaborative model that sends students letters listing colleges that would admit them based on junior-year performance, while preserving student choice and waiving application fees for participating schools. She said the program is intended to reduce anxiety about admissions, encourage FAFSA completion, and keep more Minnesota students in-state. Robinson previewed second-year data showing continued positive outcomes, including higher FAFSA completion, increased college enrollment, and more students staying in Minnesota. Participation increased among students eligible for free and reduced lunch, rising from 21% in the first year to 40% in the second year. She noted a continuing concern about American Indian and Alaska Native students, whose FAFSA completion declined and whose participation numbers were lower in the newest cohort, and said the agency would continue to study that data. She also said some of the increase in free-and-reduced-lunch participation may reflect the impact of North Star Promise and related financial aid messaging. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will increase cost to the association. It will increase cost to the managers.
• And when it increases costs to the association, that ultimately increases costs to the members.
• So when a worker gets hurt, the cost doesn't disappear.
• When a worker gets hurt, the cost doesn't disappear.
• Even in a high-cost state with notably high housing costs, this is not inevitable.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills, beginning with SB 1003, which would create pro-housing enhanced infrastructure financing districts to help local governments fund infrastructure needed for housing developments. The author and supporters argued that infrastructure costs often prevent projects from penciling out, while the chair expressed support and said the bill would be taken up later when quorum was available. SB 1014 followed, proposing new disclosure requirements for local jurisdictions to provide good-faith estimates of on-site and off-site improvements within 30 days of application, with supporters saying it would reduce late surprises and opposition from several cities citing implementation concerns with the 30-day timelines. The committee then took up SB 802, a Sacramento-region bill requiring a joint powers authority to coordinate housing and homelessness services. Senator Ashby and former Mayor Darrell Steinberg argued that Sacramento’s fragmented system has failed for years and that a JPA would improve accountability, coordination, and use of state funds. The bill drew broad support from local officials, service providers, business groups, and advocates, while some county and city representatives registered opposition or neutral concerns about state-mandated local governance. Several committee members said they were persuaded by the need for regional coordination, though some raised concerns about local control; the chair noted the bill would be moved when quorum allowed. The committee also heard SB 1092 and SB 1093, both focused on mobile home park residents after disasters or park sales. SB 1092 would give residents a right of first opportunity to match a sale offer for a park, with supporters saying it protects vulnerable seniors and preserves affordable housing, while park owners and their representatives argued it would devalue property and raise constitutional and financing concerns. SB 1093 would require more transparent communication, access to property, and consideration of rebuilding or closure after a disaster; supporters cited the long uncertainty faced by Palisades residents, while opponents warned about liability, safety, and burdensome review requirements. Members split along similar lines, with some emphasizing property rights and market impacts and others stressing the need to protect residents and preserve scarce affordable housing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Return to work order and these last-minute cost-saving measures at the cost of state employees that have
• this is just the 2526 allocation.
• And how much is the total cost?
• Please do some sort of cost benefit, excuse me, cost benefit.
• Those are all costs.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think a lot of it is related to our uncontrollable costs, like your unique costs.
• the the costs that are going on, the the the costs that are going on, the increases.<00:18:30.080>
• And then the cost.
• We were allocated $4.4 million.
• and they're later uh divided up costs and they're later uh divided up and<02:07:34.239> allocated

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It will increase cost to the association. It will increase cost to the managers.
• And when it increases costs to the association, that ultimately increases costs to the members.
• So when a worker gets hurt, the cost doesn't disappear.
• When a worker gets hurt, the cost doesn't disappear.
• Even in a high-cost state with notably high housing costs, this is not inevitable.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we see things that move through Labor and Industry that increase the cost.
• We see things that move through the energy committee that raise the cost.
• We see things that can move really through any committee that can raise the cost of housing.
• Awards uh so this covers all allocating Awards uh so this covers all allocating agencies<00:43:23.599
• by including sub allocators agencies by including sub allocators such<00:43:25.680> as<00:43:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• first place, rather than just investigating it after the fact, because we know that it's much more cost-effective
• to prevent fraud rather cost-effective to prevent fraud rather than<00:10:40.520> try<00:10:41.000
• We want to make sure that every dollar we allocate disagree, disagree, we<00:21:15.560> get<00
• <00:21:45.400> every<00:21:46.000> dollar<00:21:46.560> we<00:21:46.880> allocate
• That every dollar we allocate gets to the important service it was allocated for, to the people.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• practice of the death penalty has involved the state in erroneous convictions, botched executions, and it costs
• practice of the death penalty has involved the state in erroneous convictions, botched executions, and it costs
• And senators, the amendment proposes the allocation of a sum of $190,000 in non-recurring funds from
• The estimated cost of the study is $250,000, and I'm pleased to say we have that included in the proposed
• Never mind the fact that it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise a child.

Summary: The committee heard and voted on a long agenda of criminal justice, public safety, victims’ rights, and related bills. SB 984 on aggravating factors in capital cases was reported favorably after debate over its focus on religious, school, and government gatherings; the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops opposed expanding the death penalty, while supporters said it was about accountability rather than deterrence. CS for SB 1140 creating a Hillsborough County substance abuse pilot program for offenders, CS for SB 1180 broadening child sexual image protections, CS for SB 10 compensating Sidney Holmes for a wrongful conviction, CS for SB 500 creating a Spectrum Alert system for missing children with autism, and SB 1054 on tampering with electronic monitoring devices all passed favorably, with the substance abuse bill drawing supportive testimony about treatment and recovery and the Holmes bill receiving emotional support from Holmes himself. The committee also approved SB 1072 on expedited DNA testing grants, CS for SB 240 on domestic and dating violence victims, CS for SB 494 creating a statewide animal abuse database, and CS for SB 1422 on unmanned aircraft over critical infrastructure and weaponized drones. SB 240 drew extensive testimony from advocates describing a feasibility study for a discreet emergency alert system and the need to align domestic and dating violence protections; SB 494 drew strong support from animal welfare groups and county officials who described local registries and the link between animal abuse and violence toward people, while members discussed whether the bill should also bar known abusers from adopting animals. SB 1422 passed after questions about “reasonable force” against drones and concerns about firearms use, with the sponsor saying the bill was meant to protect privacy and property rights. Additional measures reported favorably included SB 1268 updating Department of Law Enforcement statutes and increasing reimbursement for retired police dogs, CS for SB 1344 revising juvenile status-offender procedures, CS for SB 1252 creating a feasibility study for a statewide pawn data database, CS for SB 1386 increasing penalties for assault and battery on utility workers, CS for SB 1084 strengthening sexual cyber harassment laws for intimate and digitally forged images, CS for SB 1654 revising sex offender/predator registration and reporting rules, CS for SB 1650 expanding the vexatious litigant law, and CS for SB 1652 creating a public records exemption for stricken court filings. The final and most heavily debated bill, CS for SB 1284 on wrongful death of an unborn child, drew extensive testimony from supporters who framed it as recognizing unborn life and opponents who warned it could be used to harass abortion patients, providers, and supporters and could increase malpractice exposure; the sponsor said the bill would allow parents to recover damages while protecting mothers and lawful medical care. The transcript ends before the roll call on SB 1284 is completed, but the committee had already reported the other measures favorably by recorded votes, generally along party lines with broad support from members present.

Transcript Highlights:

• don't want to hurt the taxpayer, so it allows for it to be a revolving fund so we don't have to allocate
• that ultimately will help pay for costs that ultimately will help pay for costs of<00:51:08.720>
• be a revolving fund so we don't have to be a revolving fund so we don't have to<00:51:18.400> allocate
• c> taxpayer<00:51:19.760> dollars<00:51:20.079> to<00:51:20.240> the to allocate
• tax taxpayer dollars to the to allocate tax taxpayer dollars to the fund<00:51:21.480> that's

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's no extra cost involved in this bill. It's a local situation. That's right, yes, sir.
• The bill, as it was introduced and as it left the House, the capacity is fully allocated.
• The P1 is fully allocated. Yes.
• I've been telling them when I got, you know, when I saw the bill and we got the bill, P1 was fully allocated

Bills: HB2, HB3, HB799, HB1039

Keywords: capital outlay, budget, infrastructure, appropriation, general obligation bonds, bond authorization, capital improvement, financial management, state treasury, boiler safety, inspection, licensing, state fire marshal, operating certificate, regulations, local sales tax, local use tax, sales and use tax, tax audit, local collector